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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25934689">Please Don't Love Me Back</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelikefyre/pseuds/hopelikefyre'>hopelikefyre</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Conversations, Domestic, Male-Female Friendship, outdoor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:33:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,211</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25934689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelikefyre/pseuds/hopelikefyre</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"This is how these kind of things are supposed to go, right?"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Please Don't Love Me Back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Disclaimer: Legend of Zelda isn’t mine, but this fic is, so I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.</p>
<p>Wait, I wrote a fic that doesn't revolve around MiphLink? I'm losing it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Happiness is just a moment.” The redheaded woman continued. “It’s fleeting, just like everything else in this life. We struggle and fight to climb the social ladder…and for what? So we can fake a smile and say ‘Oh yeah, we made it! Now we can start living our lives the way we want.’ But, you know what, Link? That isn’t how it works. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or where you’re at on the social ladder, you’re always going to wake up without feeling better, you’ll always be depressed, and your room will always be a mess. That’s how it is, Link, and no amount of money will change that.”</p>
<p>The two friends were sitting outside of their house, in two woven chairs on the porch. It was a modest place, with very little inside or out, but it was comfortable and homey all the same. Much of the things around the house were built entirely from scratch or found abandoned and made ready-to-use after some careful mending. The chairs that the two friends currently occupied were both examples of this; they were found on the side of the main road that led to the heart of Hyrule: Castle Town. It took the both of them to bring the chairs back, as they were quite heavy in spite of being woven from a soft wood.</p>
<p>The two had lived together in this place for a long time and it showed. Their personalities had sunk into the house, leaving irrevocable signs that this was a house they had built together. Their clothes rested neatly in the dresser that Malon built from fallen oak, Link’s penchant for coffee and his knack for cooking had resulted in the garden behind their house. Their shared love of horses manifested when the two purchased a two from a local breeder, one red with a white mane and the other tan with a brown mane. Each contributed to their life together and all was well in their little cottage in the hills.</p>
<p>One would be forgiven for mistaking the two as lovers. While Malon conceded that she did indeed have a soft spot for Link, she had made it very clear to him that they were domestic partners. Simply put, the two shared everything, good and bad. They shared stories, food, company, and even a bed, though they had never engaged in any of the proclivities that such a partnership would typically include. That seemed enough for the both of them, as having a friend was sometimes more welcome than having a lover. Moreover, it gave both the freedom to go out an experience a relationship outside one another, though neither had ever taken advantage of that possibility.</p>
<p>The sun was growing redder and redder as it closed in on the horizon. It reminded her of her days as a child, when she had naught a care in the world. It seemed so much simpler back then, living. The days seemed to stretch on forever, rolling by lazily, like clouds in a summer sky. It was as if those days were never going to end. Then, all at once, her innocence was ripped from her and she was thrust into adulthood, barely able to stand on her own two feet. Her previous knowledge escaped her and she, for once in her life, was at a loss for what to do or how to act. She was paralyzed by the new world she had been forced into, all too cold and callous, that she simply ceased to function. Her life became mundane, aimless. Her days were spent slaving away under a man known as Ingo, who was compelled to make her life as difficult and dreary as he could.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that experience had molded her into who she was now. <em>Sad, depressed, pessimistic</em>. All of these described her current state of being.</p>
<p>Then there was Link: the man whose life had stolen from him the ability to converse freely.  He was not mute by any means, but what he lacked in conversation, he more than made up for by listening. He could offer a few words here and there, all of them carefully chosen, as if he were operating on a limited supply of oxygen.</p>
<p>As they continued to sit, staring at the sinking sun, a thought crept into Malon’s consciousness One she had been having for quite some time now, but had never dared to bring up. However, she knew that Link was the least judgmental person she had ever met, and it was likely that he would answer her question with a direct answer, which would put her at ease. Sucking in a breath, she asked her question bluntly,</p>
<p>“Why do you stay out here with me?”</p>
<p>Link raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“You know, why are you here? You could be anywhere else right now, but instead you choose to stay here. I’m curious why you chose that.” She explained. “Not that there’s anything <em>wrong</em> with you being here. I like you and your company.” She added quickly.</p>
<p>Link’s eyebrow returned to its normal place.</p>
<p>“You’re important to me.” He replied monotonously.</p>
<p>“That can’t be the only reason.” She quipped.</p>
<p>“But it is.”</p>
<p>She sighed, “Why do you do that to me?”</p>
<p>He looked at her again.</p>
<p>“I know I ask a lot of you and you do everything so willingly. I feel like I could ask you to drop dead and you’d find a way to do it.” She giggled.</p>
<p>She cleared her throat and continued.</p>
<p>“But it’s been years, I figure you want to know where this is all leading and the truth is Link, I don’t know. Maybe I don’t <em>want </em>to know. All I can think about right now is how much I like waking up with you and sitting out here together, without any distractions. I love our life like this, so why am I feeling so…<em>bad</em> about everything? Why do I have this gnawing feeling that these days are as good as it gets and that one day, all of this is going to end in some tragic, terrible way? What if the best years of our lives are over?”</p>
<p>Link looked at her, obviously engrossed in his thoughts to find a suitable reply. She imagined that he found none, because he bit his lower lip and frowned slightly.</p>
<p>“That was a bit too much at once.” Malon said. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Link shook his head.</p>
<p>They sat in silence for a long while, turning Malon’s speculations over in their minds. The sun had set by the time Malon spoke again.</p>
<p>“Link, I have one more question.”</p>
<p>He turned his attention to her.</p>
<p>“If I can’t love you, would you ever love me back?”</p>
<p>Almost instantly, Link replied.</p>
<p>“Yes.” He breathed.</p>
<p>She smiled sadly. “Even though, I told you we’re partners, not lovers?”</p>
<p>Link nodded.</p>
<p>“The truth is, I don’t know how to love someone else. And I’m too stubborn to let myself learn because I’m terrified of hurting you. So that’s why I’m asking you,”</p>
<p>She cast her face down and shut her eyes tight, trying to stop the tears from peppering the ground around her feet.</p>
<p>“Please,” She begged him. “Please don’t love me back.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well there it is. I don't know why I felt compelled to write a Link/Malon friendship fic, but hey, it's something. More or less, this is a reflection of a conversation I was having with one of my good friends the other day. We're both nearing the age where the period of self-discovery is supposed to be over and one is supposed to settle down, yet neither of us are in any position to do that, so they recommended if we can't find anyone to share our lives with, we might as well move in together.</p>
<p>Thank y'all for reading. Hope you enjoyed. Please consider following me if you liked the fic or check out some of my other works. I promise not all of them are sad</p>
<p>Love<br/>-hope</p></blockquote></div></div>
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